Letter from Jayne Miller, January 2015.

Oregon’s State Legislature has a crucial role not just for Oregonians, but for the world and our climate change crisis. It is time to recognize that our cougar and our wolves matter in the quality of our lives and that of the world. It is time for us to set aside failed policies, and create new policies to manage our cougar and our wolves. Policies that are based on sound science, an accurate cougar model population count, are humane, and reflects their crucial role in climate change. We must create policies that improve our apex predators welfare, the world is depending on us. At a time of critical climate change world-wide, it makes no sense to manage Oregon’s apex predators to the levels of genetic extinction. Yet we do so primarily because we demand food from an invasive species cattle industry. ﻿Cows are not an industry, they are cows. If you have a beef with this, get buffalo, they are predator resistant and if the Native grasses are left alone, don't need hay grown for them. That saves water too. For those who do eat meat, buffalo is a healthier meat to eat and buffalo will not damage the ecosystem or contribute to climate change too such an extent that cattle do. For that matter, wolves and cougar don't damage the ecosystems either, they fix them. Lets protect what works, our "Guild Apex" predators, the cougar and the wolf. What's a guild? A guild is a group of species with the same instinct and contributions in the food chain. Wolf, bear and cougar are all species with the same predator instincts and diet. Predator guild relationships have existed together for millions of years, and guild extinctions have shown to have far-reaching negative results. Removing any species from an ecosystem will cause a Trophic Cascade downfall, which is what we have done to the Blue Mountain Forests and to our salmon. Lets not do this to our cougar and our wolves.﻿Enjoy our website, we are an Oregon grass roots 5o1C3 nfp that speaks for the soul of our apex predators. On the left you will find a series of buttons that includes our Donation PayPal button and directs you to more educational information. All of our staff including myself are volunteers. 100% of your donation goes to Oregon's guild apex predators, the cougar and the wolf. It is hard to speak on their behalf without your support! The wolves and the cougars are your wolves and cougars and they are counting on us all to protect them.

Cougar kittens are sadly all too often sold on the Wildlife Black Markets as pets or used as bait to train hound dogs to hunt cougar. Or raised and released during State Legislature periods near schools to promote fear and the false impression of a cougar population explosion.

Cougars do not see as humans see. Their eyes focus like fuzzy pixels.

Cougars see better at night than humans can see.

They rely on their ability to smell rather than to see.

Cougars open their mouths in order to enhance their ability to smell. It looks scary when they do this because it shows all their impressive teeth!

Cougars chirp, purr, growl, and scream, but do not roar!

Cougars are cowards and will leave you alone if you do not run or bend over but instead make yourself look large by holding your arms out with your coat extended on them, or blow a whistle.

As quoted by Dr. Wielgus: Young cougar dispersing from their mothers are not the cause of human conflict. Young cougars who have been orphaned have conflict issues with livestock and humans. The more cougar that are killed by humans, the more conflict issues arise. Leaving the cougars alone creates less conflict.

Stop the Killing (WARNING, NOT FOR CHILDREN! Shows a hound hunter killing a cougar):

Defenders of Wildlife offer a free 26 page book you can paste the link and download. This link talks about living with wolves, but the same practices and concepts apply to cougars - of which we have more of! "Livestock and Wolves: A Guide to NonLethal Tools and Methods to Reduce Conflicts."

...because when cougars start to claw your furniture they end up living in boxed in areas in sheds or garages. This is no life for any large cat. Often the the cougars teeth are pulled as well as their claws.

What We Do.

Oregon Cougar Action Team is dedicated to the preservation of Oregon's cougar and wolves and the ecosystems they sustain. We promote education in our communities. Honest and humane sound science behind Oregon's Cougar Management plans and

policy making. We are also strong supporters of M18 and future cougar and wolf protection policies.

﻿

What you can do!

Time and talent are as valuable as money, but if you would rather donate, please visit our donation page and help protect Oregon's APEX PREDATORS! They are YOUR COUGAR AND WOLVES who live in YOUR wilderness! Take charge and save their lives!

Really, no minimum gift is required to help supporT YOUR COUGAR AND WOLVES. It's simple. IF YOU CANNOT MAKE THE SUGGESTED DONATION, Just make the donation you can afford using any of the following methods.

2. Go to Paypal!

ALL DONATIONS ARE 100% TAX DEDUCTABLE.

What your donation will do:

Your donation will support classroom and public presentations on cougar biology and how to safely co-exist with them.

Your donations cover the operating costs, educational linking and research that is reflected on this website. Included are the website expenses and all the safety literature and links that can be downloaded and used by schools and the public - all for free - 24/7 seven days a week. We look for the facts and make sure you can have this information!

Our board members and director are all volunteers. Your donations cover the costs for our Director to attend State Legislature hearings where she is able to promote humane bills, help defeat hound hunting cougar killing bills, and be the voice for Oregon's cougar and wolf. We are 100% cougars and wolves and all our attention is directed to their concerns.

Oregon Cougar members and staff are humbled....

The Zuniga Forbes Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Grant awarded to OreCat

Weary after the long battle educating the Legislatures about our cougars and why we must not kill them for sport or with hounds; I was overcome with joy and humbled to receive a grant for Oregon Cougar Action Team from the Zuniga Forbes Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation. On the behalf of Oregon Cougar Action Team and all our members, I thank the Zuniga Forbes Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation from the very bottom of my heart to the Heavens above. Oregon Cougar Action Team will use this grant to further promote a safe wilderness for Oregonians, their children and our wildlife by protecting our cougar and working to insure ODFW has a better plan to manage our cougar. A plan that is safe, humane, honest and based on sound science! Thank you and forward we go!